Crickets to Mealies Ratio

Hello,

I have read that leos should eat more crickets than meal worms as mealies don't have that much nutritional value. And due to their chitinous (spelling?) nature, they are more difficult to digest. So, what is the ideal ratio of crickets to meal worms that one should be feeding their leos? Is it necessary to modify this ratio for a) babies, b)juveniles, c) sub-adults, and d) adults?

Also, are super worms similar to meal worms or are they better in terms of biological value?

mealies have as much nutritional as the food you feed them. aka gutloading. As long as your mealworms are gutloaded and dusted, then they are healthy and nutritious for your gecko.

Personally i often avoid crickets because of the potential risk of parasites, it would cost a heck of a lot if all my gecko's got parasites.

BUT if i HAD to say, then i would way crickets 1 :: 3 Mealworms.
I would say a cricket is worth 3 mealworms -ish. And i don't think any of them needs to be fed more of to the gecko, i think they can be fed equally in that ratio above.

Its true that mealworms are more differcult to digest. but they're still no problem.
If it is was on a scale
-Super easy to digest
- Easy to digest
-Digestable
- Hard to digest... and so on...

Then crickets would probably at Super Easy, and mealworms at Easy. SO nothing to worry about.


Superworms are though of as better in a biological sense of, its more meat and less shell. (i know its not actual meat lol) and they are often thought of as better for the breeders pocket, since you don't ave to feed as much, and are easier to keep.

Honestly I hate feeding crickets. Theyre dirty, noisy, aggressive bugs that have a high potential for giving your leo parasites. The nutritional values I stated in my "mealies versus supers sticky" are values pre gutload. What you gutload with will only add to that. Potato as starch and fat, carrots offer moisture and vitimins, the oatmeal (old fashioned oats not instant) that you bed them in add fiber and protein, as do leafy greens to those baseline nutritional values. With the wide array of feeder worms out there such as butter worms, phoenix worms, silk worms, wax worms, mealies and supers you should be able to offer a varied first free from crickets and the parasite potential they bring.

Ok, but we only get meal worms and super worms here. There are silk worms but I have not found a supplier yet. Funny how nobody has warned me about crickets and parasites. I agree that crickets are noisy and dirty tho.

Look at bait stores. Like where fishermen get their supplies. They usually get off beat worms for trout and bass fishermen.

Good idea, will def do that. Can I feed my leos any worms or are there certain ones that are bad and should be avoided?

At fishing shops, i know they can sometimes powder the worms with stuff, which spread into the water and attracts fish. I'm not sure if that will affect the leo or not, but make sure to get plain unpowdered and uncoloured worms.